Parachute’s National Teen Driver Safety Week Oct. 22 to 28 aims to reduce drugged driving and teach about driving safely without impairment, distraction, and aggression.

TORONTO, October 16, 2018 – National Teen Driver Safety Week (NTDSW), an annual public awareness campaign aimed at educating young drivers about road safety, is taking place October 22 to 28. This year, Parachute and Desjardins are calling on teens to #KnowWhatImpairedMeans and help reduce drugged driving.

One in four drivers aged 16 to 24 who died in a crash between 2000 and 2010 tested positive for cannabis – yet many youth don’t consider drugged driving to be high risk. Some teens even mistakenly believe using cannabis would make them a better driver. They need to #KnowWhatImpairedMeans– that cannabis slows reactions times and combining cannabis with alcohol greatly increases the negative impact on driving skills.

Educating teens about distracted and aggressive driving – including speeding – is also part of this year’s NTDSW campaign.

“While cannabis becomes legal in Canada tomorrow for those 19 and older, it is neither legal nor acceptable for people to drive while impaired by cannabis,” says Steve Podborski, Parachute President and CEO. “We know that 56 per cent of cannabis users believe it has no effect, or even a positive effect, on their thinking and decision-making, and 22 per cent of teen users believe that cannabis doesn’t cause impairment for drivers. We need to change those perceptions to keep all road users safe.”

“We have concerns over any form of impaired driving and we know that tackling the issue of drug impaired driving requires a collective effort from all stakeholders,” says Denis Dubois, President and CEO of Desjardins General Insurance Group.“It’s one of the many reasons why we partner with Parachute; to raise awareness on road safety issues such as drug-impaired driving and distracted driving.”

During the week of October 22 to 28, 2018, teens, parents and influencers will be participating in NTDSW activities across Canadian communities, including Positive Ticketing Blitzes, which promote, encourage and reward good driving habits among teens.

Learn more about National Teen Driver Safety Week and download our free resources for community activities, social media sharing, and education.

Media contact:
Kelley Teahen, Director, Communications & Marketing
media@parachutecanada.org Tel: 647 776-5128

About Parachute

Parachute is Canada’s national charity dedicated to reducing the devastating impact of preventable injuries. Injury is the No. 1 killer of Canadians aged 1 to 44, where one child dies every nine hours. The financial toll is staggering, with injury c osting the Canadian economy $27 billion a year. Through education and advocacy, Parachute is working to save lives and create a Canada free of serious injuries. For more information, visit us at parachute.ca and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

About Desjardins Group

Desjardins Group is the leading cooperative financial group in Canada and the fifth largest cooperative financial group in the world, with assets of $290.1 billion. It has been rated one of the Best Employers in Canada by Aon Hewitt. To meet the diverse needs of its members and clients, Desjardins offers a full range of products and services to individuals and businesses through its extensive distribution network, online platforms and subsidiaries across Canada. Counted among the world’s strongest banks according to The Banker magazine, Desjardins has one of the highest capital ratios and credit ratings in the industry.

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